Device and method for nodal multiple access into communications channels

ABSTRACT

A nodal division multiple access technique for multiple access to a communications channel such as a satellite transponder. The present invention provides multiple access into a communications channel where each accessing site utilizes one signal from a composite amplitude/phase digital signal constellation, such that demodulators receive the composite signal without changes in the system design related to the multiple access operation.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates generally to a system and method for multiple access to a given transponder and more particularly to multiple access in satellite communications.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Communications channels, such as the RF communications channel represented by a geosynchronous communications satellite transponder, are an important, economically valuable resource. A multitude of schemes have been developed for efficient modulation and coding of a single carrier using a communications channel and for multiple access techniques where multiple carriers share a channel. In multiple access, the typical design case involves transmissions from dispersed geographic locations where any one site has a capacity demand less than the total capacity available, but where the aggregate demand from all sites is equal to the total capacity.

In the specific case of satellite communications, multiple access to a given transponder has been achieved using frequency division multiple access (FDMA), time division multiple access (TDMA), code division multiple access (CDMA), and various combinations of these techniques. The FDMA, TDMA, CDMA and variations thereof all require specific equipment features at both the transmit and the receive ends of the system.

In a satellite system, including a so-called geostationary system, the satellite is always moving with respect to the modulators and demodulators. The geometry and satellite motion causes slowly varying distances between the transmit sites and the satellite and between the satellite and the receive sites. In turn, the varying distance along the line-of-sight causes changes in carrier frequency, and hence phase, due to Doppler. Since the multiple access signals of interest herein share the satellite transponder and the downlink path, the key issues are the differences in paths of the uplink signals. These differences are primarily due to slight differences in the geometry between uplink site and the satellites and slight differences in signal propagation through the atmosphere such as phase scintillation.

These variations present design challenges for conventional multiple access techniques such as FDMA, TDMA and CDMA. Any new technique must also accommodate the time-varying geometry that occurs in a communications satellite system.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is a system and method for communications signal processing including the capability to handle time-varying effects such as that which occur in a communications satellite system. The present invention provides multiple access into a communications channel where each accessing site utilizes one signal from a composite amplitude/phase modulated digital signal constellation, such that the demodulators receive the composite signal without changes in the receiver design related to the multiple access operation.

The present invention permits nodal division multiple access (NDMA) where standard modulation techniques are used but where innovative processing at the modulator locations permits multiple carriers to share a single communications channel, such as a satellite transponder. With modern signal processing technology, the implementation at the modulator end is practical and economical. No changes are necessary in the demodulators. This is a very important advantage in asymmetrical applications, such as direct broadcast satellite (DBS), where there are many more demodulators than modulators.

According to the NDMA technique of the present invention, the user receivers are generally the same as receivers for certain modulation formats without multiple access. NDMA can directly utilize the major body of theory and practice already available in digital communications, particularly in amplitude phase shift keying (APSK). NDMA can be used as a network evolution technique in that all deployed receivers would have the capability to demodulate any appropriate signal, but as the network evolves the transmitted signal becomes a multiple access composite of signals from different geographic points.

As a specific application, the invention could be utilized in an advanced system for DBS re-broadcast of local television signals. In existing systems, the local television signal is transported, by terrestrial means, to a small number of major satellite uplink sites. Each of the uplink sites aggregates channels into groups matching the capacity of a single satellite transponder. Each uplink carrier then is a “single access” carrier from one of the major satellite sites to a direct broadcast satellite (DBS) transponder.

According to the NDMA system and method described herein, the local channels can be uplinked from less expensive sites nearer to the television signal's point of origin. For example, the capacity of a transponder could be shared between two local television markets with an uplink in each market. The NDMA invention eliminates the terrestrial transmission costs to a more complex, distant uplink facility.

It is an object of the present invention to utilize PDMA in satellite communications. It is another object of the present invention to utilize PDMA as a network evolution technique. It is still another object of the present invention to permit a new signal to be uplinked from a new geographic site distant from an original uplink site.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a method for making a transmitted signal become a composite of multiple signals from different geographic sites.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the following detailed description and appended claims, and upon reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a more complete understanding of this invention, reference should now be had to the embodiments illustrated in greater detail in the accompanying drawings and described below by way of examples of the invention. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a diagram of a static geometry system having a terrestrial repeater;

FIG. 2 is a diagram of a static geometry local modulating subsystem;

FIG. 3 is a system diagram of a dynamic geometry system;

FIG. 4 is a diagram of a dynamic geometry local modulating subsystem;

FIG. 5 is a signal constellation of a composite input signal according to the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a signal constellation of the composite input signal after removal of the local signal according to the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a signal constellation of an estimate of distant signal coordinates according to the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a signal constellation of local coordinates according to the present invention;

FIG. 9 is a signal constellation of the output signal according to the present invention; and

FIG. 10 is a system diagram of an alternative embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Some background material and terms are defined herein for the detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention. A “local transmit site” is one of several sites which transmit signals in multiple access with other distant sites into a common channel. Most of the required signal processing is described herein with regard to a single “local” site. Each local site transmits a modulated “carrier” or “signal” which, after the common channel, is a part of the “composite” signal. The term “carrier” denotes an unmodulated transmission.

In-phase (I) and quadrature (Q) carrier and signal components are utilized throughout the present invention. Each local signal is described by its location in the I-Q coordinate space of the underlying carrier.

The following description applies to a 4PSK satellite communications application. With a 4PSK (QPSK) modulation design, the present invention permits multiple access from two locations, with each transmitting a 2PSK signal. Other applications can be generalized from this particular case. For example, with 16QAM, the invention permits NDMA from two sites, each with 4PSK modulation or from as many as four sites each with 2PSK or 4PSK modulation. It should also be noted that the fundamentals of the invention apply to any system and modulation where the modulations can be combined within the channel and where the distant carriers can be appropriately controlled. For example, the present invention applies to amplitude and phase modulations if the linearity of the communications channel permits quasi-linear superposition of the modulations from the different transmit locations.

A variety of forward error control (FEC) techniques may be used with the signals described herein. For the NDMA system described herein, the FEC design is largely independent and, in fact, an important feature of the invention in that the FEC scheme may be different for each accessing signal. For example, an NDMA system may start with a 4PSK signal with one FEC scheme and then later add a 2PSK signal with a different, more advanced FEC.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a static geometry terrestrial repeater system 10 using 4PSK for multiple access to a terrestrial repeater. The present invention is applicable to static geometry applications, such as a terrestrial repeater. Another example of a static geometry application is a satellite whose motion is not significant and the Doppler effect is negligible. There are two originating sites, site A and site B. Each of the two originating sites transmits 2PSK to a transponder 12. Transponder 12 transmits a composite signal, A+B, to Site A, Site B, and a plurality of other, much simpler, receiving sites 14. The composite signal A+B is also used as a frequency and phase reference signal according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is the local modulating subsystem 20 for a static example, which is located at either Site A or Site B. The incoming composite signal A+B is received at a M-ary receiver 22 where it is used as a timing, frequency and phase reference. The composite signal A+B is recovered from the transponder and converted into In-phase and Quadrature components. Ambiguity resolution is performed to determine a reference for the phase of the signal. The converted recovered carrier and the phase ambiguity indicator are sent to the modulator, where the information bit stream is also fed. The outgoing modulated signal is output from the modulator.

The static geometry application shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is not particularly challenging for the present invention of NDMA, because the geometry is fixed and the differential propagation impairments for the paths A and B are small.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a system 30 with a time-varying, dynamic geometry involving an orbiting communications satellite 32. The relative motion of the satellite 32, and transponder 34, is shown by a dashed line 33 with arrows indicating the direction of motion. Transmit site A 36 transmits signal A to the transponder 34. Transmit site B 38 transmits signal B to the transponder. A composite signal A+B is transmitted from the transponder back to each of sites A 36 and B 38. The composite signal A+B is also transmitted to a plurality of receive sites 40. The signals are transmitted and received through a variety of atmospheric effects 42.

The application shown in FIG. 3 introduces two new effects to provide sources of timing, frequency and phase instability. In contrast to the static geometry application shown in FIG. 1, the satellite application in FIG. 3 introduces variations in the signal. Because the satellite 32 is not perfectly “geostationary”, a small relative motion with respect to the transmit sites 36, 38 gives timing, frequency and phase changes. Also, since the different uplink signals do not follow the same paths through the atmosphere, it is assumed that small differential delays, or phase changes, will occur.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of the local modulating subsystem 50 for the dynamic geometry system of FIG. 3. FIG. 4 shows the signal processing used at each of the transmit sites. With reference to FIG. 4 it should be noted that 4PSK modulation is shown, however, with refinements the architecture shown may be generalized and applied to amplitude/phase shift keying such as 16QAM. In the description with respect to FIGS. 4 through 9, the concept of a “local I/Q coordinate space” is used to collect incoming signal measurements and synthesize outgoing signals. It should be noted that the I/Q space is only a localized signal processing implementation and it does not directly relate to the composite signal constellation. The local I/Q coordinates are the in-phase and out-of-phase components of a given signal with respect to the local VCO reference.

Referring to FIG. 5, a signal constellation 100 for the composite signal A+B is shown. The composite signal A+B is input to the local modulating subsystem 50 of FIG. 4. The local modulation is removed 52 from the composite signal A+B. This is accomplished by coarse and fine synchronization processes wherein a replica of the outgoing signal 54 is subtracted 56 from the composite signal A+B. The synchronization processes drive toward minimization of the difference of the signals and hence provide a “clean” replica of the distant signals. The coarse part of the synchronization process is open loop and uses an archive 58 of the outgoing signal 54 and parameters of the satellite orbit and satellite to local uplink geometry.

Using the orbit parameters and geometric data, straightforward calculations provide an estimate 60 of the satellite-to-ground distance, and hence signal delay and the time-rate-of-change of the distance and hence the timing and frequency shift. Since the roundtrip delay is less than 300 msec, the signal archive storage requirements are modest. An example of a fine tracking loop is an early/late delay-locked loop that removes 52 local modulation from the composite signal A+B. The loop is of the type used in spread-spectrum communications systems, an example of which is described in Digital Communications and Spread Spectrum Systems, R. E. Ziemer and R. L. Peterson, Macmillan, 1985, specifically at Chapter 9, pages 419 through 483, which is incorporated herein by reference. FIG. 6 is a signal constellation 102 of the signal after the local signal has been removed.

Referring back to FIG. 4, the coarse blocks 58, 60 and the fine block 52 will maintain lock for reliable operation except, perhaps, immediately following a satellite orbital maneuver. Therefore, in terms of customer satisfaction, it is suggested that orbital maneuvers be carried out during low customer interest, such as the early morning hours, to minimize the impact on perceived system availability.

The carrier A+B is recovered 62 from the input modulation. The carrier is a composite of the carriers from the plurality of distant sites. Since all of the uplink sites have this circuitry, all will continuously drive towards a common frequency. Bit decisions are not made at this signal processing stage. Signal samples are output in the local I/Q coordinate space. FIG. 7 is a signal constellation 104 of the distant signal coordinates that are estimated.

Referring back to FIG. 4, signal samples are examined and at each bit time, the optimum location for local signals is recomputed 64 in local I/Q coordinates for the local M-ary signals. An algorithm is used to maximize the distance between the local signals and the signals received from distant sites. Since all uplink sites have the same circuitry, they all will continuously drive toward an optimum signal constellation. For example, FIG. 8 shows boundaries 106 for the signal constellation. If the received distant signal shown in constellation 104 of FIG. 7 is slowing rotating in the local I/Q space, the algorithm will cause the outgoing modulation to rotate appropriately to maintain roughly the distance intended in the M-ary modulation design shown by the boundaries 106 in FIG. 8.

Referring again to FIG. 4, orbital parameters and geometric data are used to pre-distort or compensate the outgoing signal 66 such that the effects of the changing geometry are removed 68. The local signal constellation 108 is shown in FIG. 9. Referring back to FIG. 4, the compensated signal 68 and the I/Q coordinates of the optimum location 64 and the local bit stream for transmission 72 are used to create 70 the outgoing modulated signal. The I/Q references from the local voltage control oscillator as modified at block 68 are used to create 70 the outgoing phase modulated signal. The implementation described with reference to FIG. 4 occurs at each uplink site. For example, with 16QAM, the implementation of FIG. 4 would be deployed at up to four sites, with each site transmitting a 2PSK signal.

In an alternative embodiment, shown in FIG. 10, there is no need for an outgoing signal archive. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 10 an initiating sequence 80 is implemented. Site A is the “master” site 82 and transmits first. Site B, called the “slave” site 84, receives the signal from site A by way of the satellite. Site B demodulates 86 the signal from site A 82 to obtain symbol timing and signal carrier frequency information about the signal from site A. Slaving to this information, site B then transmits 88 its own signal with synchronized symbol timing and a carrier frequency equal to the received frequency. The two signals make a new composite signal. For example, site A transmits a 4 PSK signal and site B transmits a 4 PSK signal, their combination produces a 16 QAM signal as a composite signal.

Upon receiving the composite signal, Site B continuously tracks 90 symbol timing and carrier frequency errors between the two signals with a phase locked loop 92 to line up symbol timing and carrier phase with respect to the signal transmitted by Site A, by optimizing the placement of individual signal nodes within the composite constellation. Synchronization of symbol timing and carrier frequency/phase is maintained with the phase locked loop. In this regard, there is no need to store signals for cancellation. It is possible that additional slave sites be sequentially added to transmit higher-order modulation signals.

The invention covers all alternatives, modifications, and equivalents, as may be included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for multiple access to a communications channel on a satellite comprising the steps of: transmitting a first modulated signal from a first site to a transponder; receiving, from the transponder, a composite signal, the composite signal comprising the first modulated signal and a second modulated signal transmitted from at least a second site; modulating an information bit stream with a modulating signal according to a carrier of said received composite signal, comprising the steps of: converting said composite signal into in-phase (I) and quadrature (Q) components of the second modulated signal to define a local I/Q coordinate space for signal processing at the first site, wherein said local I/Q coordinate space is determined with respect to a local oscillator reference and the carrier of the received composite signal; determining an optimum location for the I and Q components of the modulated information bit stream according to a distance between the I and Q components of the second modulated signal and the I and Q components of the modulated information bit stream in the local I/Q space; and modulating the information bit stream according to the optimum I/Q location and the carrier; transmitting the modulated information bit stream.
 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of: locking the local oscillator reference to the carrier of the received composite signal.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of converting the composite signal into I and Q components of the second modulated signal comprises removing local modulation from said composite signal.
 4. The method of claim 3, wherein said step of removing local modulation from said composite signal further comprises applying a coarse synchronization process and applying a fine synchronization processes.
 5. The method of claim 4, wherein the coarse synchronization process comprises the steps of: creating a replica of the first modulated signal; and subtracting the replica of the first modulated signal from the composite signal.
 6. The method of claim 5, wherein said step of creating a replica of the first modulated signal comprises the steps of: determining an estimated signal delay time at least in part from an estimated transponder-to-ground distance; determining an estimated carrier frequency shift at least in part from a time-rate-of-change of the estimated transponder-to-ground distance; and modifying the replica of the first modulated signal according to the estimated signal delay time and the estimated carrier frequency drift.
 7. The method of claim 4, wherein said fine synchronization process comprises applying an early/late delay locked loop.
 8. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of transmitting the modulated information bit stream comprises the steps of: determining an estimated of signal delay time at least in part from an estimated transponder-to-ground distance; determining an estimated carrier frequency shift at least in part from a time-rate-of- change of said the estimated transponder-to-ground distance; and modifying the modulated information bit stream according to the estimated signal delay time and the estimated carrier frequency drift; and transmitting the modified modulated information bit stream.
 9. The method of claim 8, wherein the transponder-to-ground distance is estimated at least in part from orbital parameters of the transponder.
 10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first modulated signal is modulated according to a first site carrier signal and the method further comprises the steps of: receiving said first modulated signal at said at least a second site; obtaining a frequency of the first site carrier signal; and wherein the second modulated signal transmitted from the second site is generated according to a second site carrier signal generated at least in part according to the frequency of the first site carrier signal.
 11. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of tracking carrier frequency errors between the first site carrier signal and the second site carrier signal using a phase locked loop.
 12. A method for multiple access to a communications channel on a satellite comprising the steps of: transmitting a first modulated signal from a first site to a transponder; receiving, from the transponder, a composite signal, the composite signal comprising the first modulated signal and a second modulated signal transmitted from at least a second site; modulating an information bit stream according to a recovered carrier of the received composite signal; transmitting an outgoing signal having the modulated information bit stream from the first site; wherein the step of modulating the information bit stream according to the recovered carrier of the composite signal comprises the steps of: creating a replica of said outgoing signal, comprising the steps of: determining an estimate of signal delay time from a distance from the transponder to the first site; determining an estimate of a composite signal carrier frequency shift from a time-rate-of-change of the distance from the transponder to the first site; and using said estimate of the signal delay time and the composite signal carrier frequency shift to modify an archive of the outgoing signal and define said replica of the outgoing signal; and subtracting said replica of the outgoing signal from said composite signal to produce a difference signal; recovering the carrier of the received composite signal using the difference signal.
 13. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of: using the difference signal as a local carrier reference for frequency and phase reference at the first site.
 14. The method of claim 13, wherein the modulated information bit stream comprises I components and Q components, and the step of modulating the information bit stream according to the recovered carrier of the composite signal further comprises the steps of: converting the difference signal into in-phase (I) and quadrature (Q) components to define a local I/Q coordinate space for signal processing at the first site; determining an optimum location for I components and Q components of the modulated information bit stream by maximizing a distance between the I and Q components of the difference signal and the I and Q components of the modulated information bit stream.
 15. The method of claim 12, wherein said step of recovering the carrier of said composite signal further comprises removing local modulation from said composite signal.
 16. The method of claim 15, wherein said step of removing local modulation from said composite signal further comprises applying coarse and fine synchronization processes.
 17. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of applying a fine tracking loop for tracking differences between the replica signal and the composite signal.
 18. The method of claim 17, wherein said fine tracking loop further comprises an early/late delay locked loop.
 19. The method of claim 12, wherein the transmitted outgoing signal further is compensated to remove the effects of a changing geometry from the transponder and the first site.
 20. The method of claim 19, wherein the compensation uses orbital parameters of the transponder and geometric data to compensate said transmitted outgoing signal.
 21. The method of claim 12, further comprising the steps of: receiving the first modulated signal at said at least a second site; and obtaining a carrier frequency of the first modulated signal; wherein the second modulated signal transmitted from the second site is generated according to a second site carrier signal generated at least in part according to the carrier frequency of the first modulated signal.
 22. The method of claim 21, further comprising the step of tracking carrier frequency errors between the carrier frequency of the first modulated signal and second site carrier signal using a phase locked loop.
 23. The method of claim 1, wherein the optimum location for the I and Q components of the modulated bit stream maximizes the distance between the I and Q components of the second modulated signal and the I and Q components of the modulated bit stream in the local I/Q space.
 24. The method of claim 23, wherein the composite signal comprises a plurality of second modulated signals, each having an I and Q component defined in the local I/Q coordinate space, and the optimum location for the I and Q components of the modulated bit stream maximizes the distance between the I and Q components of the plurality of second modulated signal and the I and Q components of the modulated bit stream in the local I/Q space. 